Tire alarm



jan, 22 1924. 1,481,654

o. H. THOMAS TIRE ALARM Filed 001;. 17 r1922 @Hoz Wag Patented Jan. Z2, i924.A

UNITED STATES.;

1,481,654' PATENT omer..

- lOWEN H; THOMAS, or oSaGE'cITY, KANSAS.

TIREA ALARM. l

Application led October 17, 1922. Serial No. 595,123.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, OWEN H. THOMAS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Osage City, in the county of Osage and State of Kansas, have invented certain ,new and useful Improvements in Tire Alarms, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates t0 signa-ling devices and has special reference. to an alarm `or indicator for fiat, orpartially deflated tires such as are used on automobiles and the like. One important object of the invention is to improve the general construction of devices of` this character. A second important object of ,the invention is to provide an improved device of this character which may eitherbeused in connection with the ordinary valve stem orv which may have a Special stem, and be used without connection to such valve stem.

A third importa-nt object of. the `vinvention is to provide an improved device of this character which is simple of construction and which may be readily manufactured ata low cost.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character which, during the running of the automobile, will give a continuous series of signals until the deflated tire is attended to by properly inflating the same.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifi-V cally claimed. Y

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and e F'gure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile wheel showing the device in position thereon. Y y Y '4 Figure 2 is an enlarged section through such an automobile wheel and showingthe device in position.

In the present instance, the device has been shown in connection with an automobile wheel having the usual rim 10, shoe 11 and inner tube 12. At 13 is indicated a stem and this stem may either be a valve stem of the inner tube as ordinarily provided or it may be a special stem passed through a suitable openingl in the rim 10. In either case, the outer end of this stem carthat he has a soft, or Hat tire.

ries a: plate y14 which is elongated of spring metal so bowed as to constantly urge the, stem outward through the opening 15 of thel rim 10. When the stem 13 is the valve Stem, the plate 14 may be used to takethe place of the ordinary outsideplate of the inner tube 12, being held in position on'the tube in the` usual manner by a nutk 1G. Fittedin thel opening 15 is a guide sleeve 17 through which -fthe stem 13 passes slidably and screwed onl the inner end ofthe sleeve 17 is a cylindrical housing or casing 17 from` the sidesof which project soundingtongues or reeds 19. On the stem 13 is mounted a nut 20 between which endtheouterend of the casing 18 is arranged a light coil `spring 21 which is heavy enough to` operate the reed-sl 19 -whenproperly manipulated vbut which is not heavy enoughto materially affect the kaction of the spring plate `14. `In operation, just as'k long as the inner tube 12 is properly inflated, the spring 14 willlie fiat against the rim 10 as Shown in Figure 1. Whenever the tire gets soft, or fiat, the spring 14 bows outward as Shown in Figure 2. When in this position every time the wheel revolves the spring 14 is brought into position beneath the wheel hub and thus will have to support the weight of the vehicle so that the stem 13 is pushed upwards and by this upward movement, the spring 21 engages and snaps, or sounds the tongues 19. Thus, every time a soft wheel makes a revolution the tongues will vibrate and a musical note is produced which immediately attracts the drivers attention to the fact It will be obvious that the casing, or housing 18. may

vbe made of some suitable metal so that the two will vibrate when the reeds 19 are snapped and thus reinforce the sound given Y by these reeds.

There has thus been provided a lsimple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose Specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be l .made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not,` therefore, desired to confine'the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is liousingadaptedto be secured tothe inner side of??? a. Wheelv rim, a stein'vv projecting through said riin into said housingA and movable longitudinally thereof, means urging said stein outward, sounding reeds carried by the interior of the housing:

and means operable by the movement o' the stein to engage and snap sa-idfree'ds.-l

2. In a device of the kind described, a

li/ouLSi-ng adapted 1to"1b'e secured to tli'e= inner side of a Wheel riin, aiy stem@ projecting' tliirou'ghu said riifn into*said'ilioirlsingf and# spring? means urging' said fsteni outward, .soundingV inoifable J longitudinally; thereof,`

reeds carried'by'tliefinterioro'f the housing, and a2 .iiut'on'fsaid ste'mi within' said housing',y and a' spring .betweenffsaid nut andthe 'bottom' ofVV said housing.l having. diameter' greater 'than thef 'distance between'fthe reeds taken diametrically across thef housing.z

whereby *said =spriirginiay engage-fan di snapthe reedsf as;` the stem# is moved 'longitudinal-:ly osard housing.;

3l' The r combination Withaniff automobile f wheel and its inliatableutire, of? aspring` plate interposed between. the rim 1 of? t-hef Wheel: and said ftire; said fplfate'being fbowed tof press Vits normal concave"'side'ftoward tlie center ofothe tire,` ther radius of .the Y'bowil'i'ngz being less lthan;itlierradins` ofthe wheel', a?

stem extend-ing throughi the rim of the Wheel spring` adapted'to be secured to the inner side ofv said Wheelrini, soirndin'g reeds carried by theinteri'orfof"said housing, a stein reciprocatablylmounted within? said housing, and extending'througli said'wheel rim, aiida substantial distance Within saidL inflatable tire, offa"springfplatecarriedbythe end of saidfsteinfandinterposed between the rim of f the' wxf'h'eel` and said 2vtire', said fplate being boivfed'to! ppess-'its'norrnal conca-ve side' to- Ward" the.' center" of the' tire?,r` and ineens? mounted near the otherentltof'said stem and positioned f Within' saidrhousing, to engage and snap said reeds;

In testimony 'Whereof' -aliii 'inyg signature ini presence: offtwor Witnesses' OWEN THOMAS; Witnesses MCCAiQV E. ALLEN; 

